Amnesty decries growing political repression

UGANDA: Amnesty decries growing political repression The human rights group Amnesty International said on 14 September that the arrest of a leading Ugandan opposition politician, Winnie Byanyima, had highlighted growing political repression in the country. Amnesty said in a statement that it was concerned over the "increasingly hostile environment" affecting opposition MPs when expressing opinions different to those of the government. "Those with dissenting viewpoints are more likely to become targets, and Amnesty International is worried for their safety," the statement said "Since the outcome of presidential elections, basic internationally recognised freedoms of expression, association and movement have become even more strictly curtailed," Amnesty said. Byanyima, MP for Mbarara and wife of former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye, was originally arrested on 10 September after a political ally she guaranteed bail for disappeared. She was subsequently charged with embezzlement and possession of an illegal firearm "under circumstances suggesting evidence of harassment", Amnesty said. The international human rights group added that it was "shocked and disappointed" at recent remarks by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni that people who did not support the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) would be removed from public service. "This statement reinforces the notion of the Movement system as being exclusive rather than encompassing the inclusive mandate it is meant to uphold," the statement said. Besigye, defeated comfortably by Museveni in March's presidential elections, was quoted as saying by the 'Monitor' newspaper on 14 September that Byanyima's arrest was a "clear manifestation of an era of political persecution now unfolding". Besigye fled Uganda for the United States last month, saying he feared for his life after hearing that Ugandan security agents were planning to arrest him and subsequently harm him. The Ugandan police have denied placing restrictions on Byanyima's freedom of movement. 'The New Vision' government-owned newspaper quoted the inspector-general of police, Maj-Gen Katumba Wamala, as saying on 16 September that parliamentarians claiming that Byanyima's freedom of movement had been restricted were "deliberately lying". [for related IRIN stories, go to: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/archive/uganda.phtml]